West Shore RCMP charge man with arson for Songhees trailer fire

The West Shore RCMP has made an arrest and charged a man in relation to a fire that destroyed one trailer and caused serious damage to another in the 1500-block of Middle Road, Songhees Reserve on Oct. 23.

Forty-nine year-old Gary Lee Nelms was arrested on Oct. 26 and held for court pending further investigation.

Nelms appeared in court Monday and was charged with uttering threats and arson with disregard to human life.

“West Shore RCMP serious crime unit are leading this arson investigation. Fortunately, there was no loss of life resulting from this devastating fire,” said Cpl. Chris Dovell of the West Shore RCMP. “I can report a smoke alarm alerted the victim who was able to escape the fire through a window. We continue to seek additional information from witnesses about this crime and encourage anyone with information to come forward.”